Why your business needs AI champions
We say it to every business we meet. Regardless of the project, you can have the coolest, sexiest, best bit of tech out there, but without the people being on board it is a complete waste of time and money. Rolling out AI is no different. It’s about people.
What’s the best way of bringing people along on any tech journey? Other people.
People who are curious, trusted by their peers, and willing to explore new ways of working. These are your AI champions.
They don’t need to be technical. They don’t need to be specialists in writing amazing prompts or even know how every tool works inside out. But they do need to be engaged and they need time and support to bring others with them.
Here’s why having AI champions in your business and as part of your AI council makes a difference.
They bridge the gap between strategy and reality
AI strategies often look nice on paper. But unless someone takes ownership of turning them into action, they tend to stall. AI champions keep things moving. They help test ideas, spot early wins, and provide honest feedback about what’s working and what isn’t.
Crucially, they help translate senior leadership’s ambitions into something their teams can actually use day to day.
They boost adoption from the ground up
Most teams won’t change how they work unless someone they trust shows them how. AI champions give others the confidence to try new tools and the reassurance that it’s safe to experiment.
This kind of peer-led adoption works far better than one-off training sessions or generic emails from IT. It creates momentum, builds capability, and helps AI become part of the culture, not just a top-down passing initiative.
They spot real use cases
Good AI champions understand the problems their teams face. That puts them in the perfect position to suggest smart, relevant use cases. Not theoretical improvements. Practical ones.
They’re often the first to notice where automation could save time, where AI could improve outputs, or where manual workarounds could be replaced altogether. These small improvements add up quickly, especially when shared across teams.
They reduce risk
Left to chance, AI usage tends to fragment. Different people try different tools, with different levels of risk. AI champions help the leadership team and AI council to shape responsible adoption. They can guide others towards approved tools, flag concerns early, and ensure AI is being used in line with internal policies.
This reduces compliance risks and builds confidence across the organisation.
They create a culture of continuous learning
AI isn’t something you launch and forget. The landscape is changing too fast for that. AI champions help keep teams up to date, sharing tips, lessons, and examples of what’s working elsewhere. Done well, they create a ripple effect of curiosity and confidence.
Final thought
You don’t need hundreds of AI champions. But you do need a few. Look for people who are respected by their peers, open to change, and willing to learn. Give them time, training, and a clear brief. In return, they’ll help you embed AI where it matters most, augmenting the human inside the day-to-day workings of your teams.
Contact us to discuss how you can select, educate and enable AI champions in your business.
Interested in more content like this? Sign up to our Newsletter here.
How we can help
At iwantmore.ai, we specialise in helping businesses bridge the AI divide turning curiosity into capability and capability into competitive advantage.
We work with organisations to:
- Assess AI readiness: Understand where you are today across people, processes, and platforms.
- Identify high-impact use cases: Through discovery workshops and hands-on collaboration, we surface the areas where AI and automation can add the most value specific to your business.
- Design and implement practical solutions: From AI agents to process automation, we help you build solutions that deliver real business outcomes not just tech demos.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your existing efforts to the next level, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
We understand you are busy but don’t get left behind. Start your AI journey with confidence. Contact us and let’s explore what’s possible for your business.
Other AI articles you may be interested in:
Every company seems to want to use AI. According to Cisco’s second annual AI readiness report, 98% of executives felt an increased urgency to deliver on AI. Many businesses are already implementing it in some way, but based on the findings of the RAND report, more than 80% of AI projects fail.
Every few days, a new AI model seems to drop from one of the big AI companies. But as a normal person, how do you work out whether a new AI model is actually better than what you were using before? In this article we look at ways in which you can test out which model is most applicable for your business needs.
From boardrooms to marketing teams, leaders in businesses are being told they need AI to stay competitive. But amid the hype and noise, one crucial question often gets overlooked - what’s the actual return on investment (ROI)? Is it all worth the effort?
We take a look at the various ChatGPT modules and find out which ones best suited for what business tasks. We look at GPT-4o, GPT-4o Mini, GPT-4, OpenAI o1, OpenAI o1 Mini, OpenAI o1 Pro Mode, OpenAI o3 Mini and look at what they are best for, their purpose and how you access these models.
There’s still some confusion as to what an AI agent actually is. In many cases it’s probably still just simple automation with a fancy name. But at the more sophisticated end of the spectrum, these autonomous systems have the potential to change the way businesses operate.
Many organisations stumble when it comes to implementing AI because they lack that clear framework and organisational structure to manage it. This is where an AI council comes in. But what exactly is an AI council?
iwantmore.ai – The AI consulting firm that helps you build a smarter business
Wherever you are with your AI implementation initiatives, we have a range of stand-alone AI quick start services to help you fast track the transformative benefits of AI across your business.
